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UK - Large format projection specialists E/T/C UK used the Gielgud Theatre in London's Shaftesbury Avenue to provide preview demonstrations of a brand new software-based control system formulti-screen projection systems. The system, Onlyview, promises to save time and money for suppliers of projection projects.

At the same time, E/T/C UK also announced the fomation of a hire division, offering a stock of Barco R18 and Christie 25 high-power projectors, alongside its traditional PIGI scrolling film projectors.

Produced by the R&D department at E/T/C Audiovisuel in France, Onlyview allows easy, real-time creation of multi-screen video projections, with automatic control of overlapping and soft-edging. Aimed at events, conferences, spectaculars, TV production and fixed installation

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Belgium - "It was so easy to work with the Maxxyz that I actually had time to sleep!" Such was the comment from Maxxyz programmer/operator Steve Demarsin of Painting with Light after using the user friendly Martin lighting console on the Belgian theatre tour of Me and My Producer.

"I used another lighting board before, but for the Me and My Producer tour we decided to use the Maxxyz," says Demarsin. "We didn't have a lot of time for preparation so pre-programming and learning the Maxxyz was done in a matter of three days, thanks to the great support and the controller's ease of use. It was so easy to work with, that I actually had time to sleep! I'd like to thank Marc Colemont and Jo Van Geite at R&D International for their wonderful support."

Set and lighting design was by Luc Peumans of Painting with Light who used 13 MAC 600NT was

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South Africa - Mike Goldberg, Selecon's sales and marketing director for Europe, recently announced the appointment of Electrosonic SA as its official distributor for South Africa.

Selecon said: "Duncan Riley of Electrosonic, together with his father Dan Riley, led the discussions resulting in this decision and both companies are looking forward to a successful collaboration in developing the theatre market in South Africa. It is our hope that this appointment will directly affect the specification, after-sales and back-up of Selecon products for the coming years and it seems that we are off to a good start."

Recently, Duncan has been responsible for successful Selecon sales at the State Theatre Pretoria, Origins Museum of Rock Art and the Cradle of Humankind at the Sterkfontein Caves and Interpretation Centre, recently opened by President Mbeki.

(Lee Baldock)

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Indochine X PixMob Fan Immersion

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's - 40 thousand LED pixels on a ceiling!!! Indochine's whirlwind tour transports fans to another level of the live experience - immersing them from floor to ceiling with PixMob's X4 wristbands, and an LED ceiling made entirely of its NOVA Minis! With the vision of Indochine's creative team, PixMob used its LED fan-technology to turn attendees and venues into an ocean of effects, and a starry sky of LED magic. Très très cool!

Read more about the Indochine tour in the latest issue of LSi

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Singapore - A Soundcraft GB8 40-channel mixing desk is at the hub of a Harman Pro church integration package in Singapore, designed and supplied by system contractor, Electronics and Engineering Pte Ltd (E&E).

Since Christ Methodist Church arrived in Singapore in the 1930s, it had been sharing its church premises with two other congregations for almost three decades. Today located on Singapore's East Coast Road, CMC has not only acquired and financed its own plot of land, but has taken steps to upgrade its sound systems at its congregation halls in the Sanctuary Hall, Berckman Hall and Sunday School Hall.

CMC knew they wanted to replace their existing low-quality MI speaker systems in the 600-capacity, highly-reverberant church with a high quality professional speaker system, and at the same time address the intelligibility problems of those seated at the back of the Church -

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Europe - Sound engineer Jon Ostrin, currently mixing Toto's Falling In Between European tour, is one of three sound engineers retained by the evergreen band (Dirk Schubert and Colin Norfield - featured elsewhere in this issue mixing for David Gilmour - being the others), and he has anchored the band's sound regularly over the last half of their 30-year career. This tour is supplied by Britannia Row, with Jock Bain as system engineer.

Ostrin reports that with the (largely arena) tour selling well, the band couldn't be happier. When this tour rider was being prepared late last year the thought of moving to a digital environment for the first time was the last thing on his mind. He says: "I had settled into an XL4 four years ago and in November I told a buddy I'd never go to a digital board - I'd retire first.

But Digidesign's Steve McCale ran into Ostrin in New York City an

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Bahrain - By any standards it was a spectacular opening to a new season. Red Bull Racing started the 2006 Formula 1 season in exactly the same way that it ended the 2005 season, with a massive party, hosting a spectacular Arabian Nights launch for their second year in F1 along with Toro Rosso.

The world's press and a galaxy of VIP guests were invited to the bash on a private island off the coast of Bahrain. Oil lamps lit the way down a kilometre of carpet to the venue where everything Arabia is famous for was on show.

A Gearhouse team was in charge of technical production, and their producer, David Plail, brought in Vertigo Rigging to stage the dazzling entrance of a Red Bull Racing car and a Scuderia Toro Rosso machine, which swept through the air on hidden wires to arrive on stage as if on a magic carpet.

Vertigo was briefed to fly and track the two replica Formula 1 cars

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UK - Before the Source Four became the de facto standard fixed-angle profile spotlight, before Selecon discovered that spotlights looked more interesting with an angled back end, there was the Strand Patt 264.

Designed by Fred Bentham, introduced in 1962 and making its first appearance in Richard Pilbrow's lighting design for Lionel Bart's Blitz!, the Patt 264 was a 1kW profile spotlight with a 17° beam angle focused - exactly as with the Source Four - by loosening a focus knob and sliding the lens assembly backwards and forwards. The entire lens tube was mounted with a hinge to the lamphouse, so could be swung open for access to the reflector or lens.

From the outside, the 264's defining feature was the angled lamphouse that pre-tilted the lamp by 30° as it entered the faceted ellipsoidal reflector. Over time, the 264 so established itself in British theatre that the

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USA - Award-winning Big Wave Event Productions of Roxbury, Connecticut, USA, recently added a LSC maXim LP lighting control console to its hire department. The maXim LP combined the right mix of functions, large memory capacity, reliability and elegant design, say the company. It offers 72 faders as well as the optional PaTPad moving light controller that further extends the capabilities of the console with features such as palettes, groups, presets and an effects engine.

"We purchased the LSC maXim LP console because it is reasonably priced and user friendly and the demo at LDI last year was very impressive," said Brian Winthrop, president of Big Wave Event Productions. "Since joining our lighting stock the maXim has never crashed and the tech support from the US distributors Applied Electronics has been very good."

Pictured is the maXim LP in control at a

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USA / Worldwide - High End Systems (HES) has added to its sales organization with new hires, a restructuring of territories and the creation of a new AV market channel for its Digital Lighting products.

KK Mak joins HES as the regional sales manager for China, Southeast Asia and Korea. Mak comes to HES after 15 years of running operations at Strand Lighting in Hong Kong. Based in Hong Kong, Mak is working with HES Singapore in developing sales for Korea, China, Singapore and Malaysia.

Chris Ferrante moves from within High End Systems to become regional sales manager for North Africa and the Middle East. Ferrante, who came to HES almost three years ago with a lighting background, most recently worked in a product support role for Wholehog products throughout Europe. Based in Germany, he will continue to also offer console support until a replacement for his position has been ma

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UK - The Pharos Lighting Playback Controller (LPC) is lighting up the London skyline atop a landmark new residential and retail complex near London Bridge. The Tabard Square development includes a 22-storey tower of luxury penthouse apartments complete with a glass 'barometer' beacon on the roof.

The beacon is a light-box about two storeys high. Paul Hamilton, the technical manager for Berkeley Homes explains: "In consultation with the London Borough of Southwark we envisaged this representing a 'beacon of regeneration' for the area as a whole. Arup Lighting proposed and designed the barometer scheme and worked with Architainment Lighting, the UK distributor for Color Kinetics, to select the fixtures and the Pharos LPC to receive data triggers from the barometer."

The Pharos LPC controls the colour of the beacon depending on atmospheric pressure readings from a digit

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Russia - BSS Audio, a Harman International Company (NYSE-HAR) has announced that Mega Music, a long-established system integrator and strategic partner of the Harman Professional Group, has carried out a multi-zone installation in Moscow using integrated products from the Harman Pro catalogue.

The new 500-capacity Rover Club, which opened this month, occupies a prime position within the recently reconstructed historic shopping arcade of Gostiny Dvor - in the very heart of Moscow, close to Red Square.

Owned by Rover, the major Russian consumer electronics manufacturer, the club has been divided into six zones, incorporating a restaurant, discotheque, virtual reality hall, VIP disco and VIP hall.

Sound systems in the respective zones are controlled by a standalone BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-16 with four mic/line inputs and 12 line outputs. A control PC running HiQnet London

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UK - Vaughan Sound Installations (VSI), part of the PAI Group, has completed an integrated sound, lighting and AV installation at Castle Leisure in Nantgarw, the latest new build venue of the ever-expanding Castle Bingo brand. VSI teamed up with architectural lighting specialists i-Vision and HLN Architects from Cardiff early on in the project.

The Castle Bingo site in Bridgend had included feature lighting for the Tower Room hospitality suite during a recent refurbishment. The concept was so successful that owners Castle Leisure decided to expand the theme and further invest in lighting and technology at the 1000-seat Nantgarw site, north of Cardiff.

Richard Vaughan led the project for VSI. "We've enjoyed a long and productive relationship with both Castle Leisure and HLN, and benefited from a client and architect who are willing to consult and listen to their suppliers

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The Netherlands - Ampco Pro Rent (APR), founder member of the Synco Europe Network, Europe's leading pro audio rental franchise, has announced another significant purchase of Renkus-Heinz loudspeaker systems.

APR has purchased a total of 100 Synco 18 RR Subs in a Tufftex finish, and 50 Synco TRX81/9 (90°H x 60°V dispersion) cabinets from Renkus-Heinz. The new stock joins APR's existing stocks of Renkus-Heinz Synco Touring System and Synco by Martin Audio line array PA systems.

The Synco Subs are are driven by the Synco/Martin Audio 4.2 amplifier, and are compatible with both types of PA operated by APR and the Synco Network. They also complement the recent purchases by Synco Network members of additional Synco by Martin Audio line array systems.

The TRX81/9s are powered by Crest CPX amplifiers. They feature an 8" low frequency driver and 1" horn loaded HF unit, a

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UK - Raymond Gubbay's production of Puccini's La Bohème, directed by Francesca Zambello, was first staged two years ago and marks the tenth anniversary of opera-in-the-round at the Royal Albert Hall. For those 10 years, sound designer Bobby Aitken has played a majorrole, continuously developing his designs as increasingly sophisticated equipmentbecomes available.

The current system comprises Meyer, d&b and Duran Audio loudspeakers, a DiGiCo D5 Live digital mixing console,a substantial amount of XTA processing equipment, Sennheiser 5012 transmitters with 1046 receiver racks and DPA microphones. But perhaps most interesting is an Out Board TiMax Audio Imaging delay matrix with a new automated tracking system developed by Norwegian company Track The Actors (TTA). And the combination works extremely well.

It's a complex output system," explains Aitken. "We rig about 120

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Germany - Digidesign is pleased to announce that the ICON D-Control worksurface and Pro Tools 7 software were honoured at the MusikMesse International Press Awards by winning the Mixing Desk (High End) and Recording Software categories respectively.

The annual MusikMesse International Press Award ceremony (MIPA) now in its seventh year is one of the most anticipated events at MusikMesse; Europe's largest professional music industry tradeshow located in Frankfurt. MIPA is widely regarded as the most prestigious music industry awards with fifty eight magazines from all over the world nominating three products in each of forty categories before finally choosing each category winner.

Digidesign's ICON D-Control worksurface received the award for the best product of 2005/2006 in the Mixing Desk (High End) category beating other nominees AMS Neve88D and SSL AWS900. In the final awar

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UK - 3M Digital Signage has opened a UK office with a mission to bring its portfolio of software and display hardware solutions to a European customer base in retail, entertainment, leisure, corporate, education and other key markets. The business will bebased at 3M UK's head offices in Bracknell, Berkshire.

Simon Birkenhead has been appointed UK sales and marketing manager for 3M Digital Signage, and a team of technical and sales specialists is currently being trained, say the company, adding that it will use this UK office to support a rapid expansion across Europe using 3M's existing offices in most European and Middle East countries.

Although new to Europe, 3M Digital Signage has a 15-year history in the US. In August 2005, 3M acquired Mercury Online Solutions and its FRED content management software. A pioneer in the digital signage market since 1996, Mercury Online acqui

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UK - Stage Technologies have been awarded the contract for stage automation equipment onboard the latest cruise ship to be ordered by Cunard. The Queen Victoria is being built by Fincantieri in Marghera, Venice, for delivery in 2007. Whilst the ship is not on the same scale as the Queen Mary 2, the last ship to be delivered to Cunard, the 800 seat Royal Court Theatre, styled after a London West End theatre will be well equipped. The design has been developed jointly by architects GEM, and consultants NED.

Stage Technologies will supply and install the complete stage automation system. This will be the first non Princess ship to be fitted with Stage Technologies second generation BigTow 2 winches and TanJent guidance system, which guides a fly bar through its travel from the upper to lower limit, not just the top half of the travel as often seen on board ships.

The stage will b

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USA - Eat to the Beat was delighted to work alongside AEG on the inaugural AMGEN Tour of California in February. 16 teams comprising of 127 riders from around the world competed over an eight-day, 700-mile race on a route that passed through the California redwoods, wine country and the Pacific Coast.

Eat to the Beat provided corporate hospitality for the sponsors, press and VIP guests at the start and finish of the race each day. During this period, two teams, one for the 'start' locations and one for the 'finish' locations, the 56 staff prepared and served over 70,000 items of food to more than 9,300 guests in 10 cities at 13 separate events.

Logistically this was a challenging project which involved liaising with different suppliers in each city from San Francisco on day one to Redondo Beach in Los Angeles at the end of the race on day eight. Everything had to be packed up

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Germany - Bosch Security Systems has received an Industrie Forum (iF) product design award for its new Wireless Access Point (WAP) unit. The WAP unit is part of Bosch's DCN Wireless Discussion System being introduced at the ProLight&Sound 2006 show in Frankfurt.

The iF (Industrie Forum Design e.V.), based in Hannover, provides a broad range of design-related services. Since 1953 it has become known worldwide for its annual iF design award competition. This year a total of almost 2000 product entries from 37 countries were submitted. The award means that Bosch is permitted to use the iF label on the WAP unit in recognition of the company's commitment to innovation and meeting customers' requirements.

In addition to the WAP unit, the DCN Wireless Discussion System comprises three different types of wireless discussion units and a central control unit. The system requires

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Azerbaijan - Dynamic play of light, color and shadow for prominent World Heritage site Gyz-Galasy Tower, or Maiden Tower, in Baku, Azerbaijan is a significant medieval monument from the 12th century. Its historical function uncertain, the Tower may have been part of an ancient castle wall or even served as a temple for fire worship. Today, Maiden Tower houses a historical museum and serves as a meeting place and pilgrimage site for tourists.

"As an architectural monument, Maiden Tower plays a great role for all of mankind as proven by its presence on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites," says Kirill Pavlov, director of A&T Trade Distribution Company. "Culturally and socially its significance is on par with some of the world's great treasures. Any lighting solution for Maiden Tower would therefore need to take into consideration its cultural, political and soci

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Australia - BSS Audio, a Harman International Company (NYSE-HAR) has played a pivotal role in the new upgrade at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Preparing for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the Melbourne Cricket Club undertook a substantial renovation of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which included building a new Northern Stand and the installation of a new property-wide public address system featuring Harman HiQnet protocol technology.

The previous public address system consisted of a single speaker cluster positioned at one end of the facility, providing limited speech intelligibility. Answering the call for complete and intelligible speaker coverage for every seat in the stands, Rutledge Engineering and Acoustic Directions, in conjunction with audio consultants Marshall Day Acoustics, designed a new fully distributed sound system featuring Harman HiQnet protocol techn

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